Ozil criticism unfair – and here is the proof

Mesut Ozil marginalises every group of football fan. There hasn’t been a wider spectrum of thought on a player since Nicklas Bendtner’s own views and everyone else’s.

Ozil continues to generate headlines and it would seem that a mere mention of his name garners response levels sufficient to sate even the most demanding of editor. A large portion of what is written and said is of course clickbait – but there is no smoke without fire – right?

Mesut’s languid body language is like catnip to those who lambast the playmaker continuously. Head dipped, refusal to fluster and his lesser-heard raised voice contrasts to the blood and thunder that is demanded from many.

It makes you a winner. Veins popping, whites of the eyes dappled with burst blood vessels, clenched fists aplenty. These are classic signs of a winner, and Mesut Ozil is a stranger to these.

Ozil IS a winner though. He knows better than anyone it is what you do on the pitch that makes the difference, and he concerts all of his effort into enabling his team.

The consensus will probably continue to haunt Ozil simply because he is rarely seen roaring at teammates and plunging into rash tackles.

There is an agenda against our number 11, and one fact highlights this better than any words I can type.

After ten games in the Premier League, Manchester City sat top of the league and with breathing space between them and the chasing pack. They had +29 goal difference, and they made their best start to a Premier League season in their history. Nine wins and one solitary draw.

A lot of the plaudits were doled out to Kevin De Bruyne. The ginger genius had laid on chances with high frequency and teammates, his manager and pundits were gushing at the mention of the Belgian’s name.

Meanwhile, Mesut Ozil had been battered from pillar to post by most. A portion of Gooners, journalists and experts wanted more from him.

Arsenal were in 5th spot, and had six wins, one draw and three defeats from their ten games, with a +6 goal difference. A large disparity between City’s record and Arsenal’s. City had DeBruyne firing on all cylinders and had been backed to become one of the world’s best players on the back of his performances – and Ozil had been heckled.

Yet, both had created exactly the same amount of chances – both were top of the rankings in terms of chances set up.

Ozil and DeBruyne had crafted 30 clearcut chances for their teammates in ten games. Three each game.

So how can Ozil be panned as a waste of a player in a team, and DeBruyne hailed as a marvel – perhaps the best in the League?

They are both players in the team to do a job. The same job. From the numbers, it appears as if both are doing it better than anyone else in the Premiership. Yet Ozil continues to be ridiculed for failing his team, and DeBruyne is the exact opposite.

These numbers show that Ozil is every bit as good as most of us Gooners know he is. We have dispelled the myth that he is lazy before – he covers more ground than most – and now we can put to bed the notion that he makes no chances.

What will we have to put right next? Mesut Ozil is a fantastic player. He starts moves from deep and keeps his presence in the intricate passing throughout. He is always on the ball.